Polen Capital Management LLC Sells 281,257 Shares of Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA)

Key Points

• Polen Capital Management LLC reduced its stake in Mastercard by 8.1%, now holding 3,211,209 shares, which makes up about 5.5% of their investment portfolio.
• Mastercard reported better-than-expected earnings of $4.15 per share for the last quarter, exceeding estimates by $0.10 and showing a year-over-year revenue increase of 16.8% to $8.13 billion.
• Insiders have sold a total of 38,603 shares valued over $20 million in the last quarter, indicating a notable decrease in their ownership positions.

Polen Capital Management LLC lessened its holdings in shares of Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA - Free Report) by 8.1% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 3,211,209 shares of the credit services provider's stock after selling 281,257 shares during the period. Mastercard comprises approximately 5.5% of Polen Capital Management LLC's holdings, making the stock its 5th largest holding. Polen Capital Management LLC owned about 0.35% of Mastercard worth $1,760,128,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of MA. Invesco Ltd. boosted its position in shares of Mastercard by 8.1% in the 1st quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 5,227,112 shares of the credit services provider's stock worth $2,865,085,000 after purchasing an additional 389,593 shares in the last quarter. Robinson Smith Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in Mastercard by 6.3% during the 1st quarter. Robinson Smith Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 407 shares of the credit services provider's stock valued at $223,000 after buying an additional 24 shares during the last quarter. Pandora Wealth Inc. purchased a new stake in Mastercard during the 1st quarter valued at $558,000. Fiduciary Family Office LLC purchased a new stake in Mastercard during the 1st quarter valued at $1,275,000. Finally, Johnson Financial Group LLC purchased a new stake in Mastercard during the 1st quarter valued at $356,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 97.28% of the company's stock.

Mastercard Trading Up 0.6%

MA traded up $3.52 during trading on Tuesday, hitting $577.11. 135,185 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,809,806. The company has a current ratio of 1.16, a quick ratio of 1.16 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.41. Mastercard Incorporated has a 1 year low of $454.89 and a 1 year high of $594.71. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $563.76 and a 200 day moving average price of $553.84. The firm has a market cap of $521.71 billion, a P/E ratio of 38.88, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.36 and a beta of 1.03.

Mastercard (NYSE:MA - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, July 31st. The credit services provider reported $4.15 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.05 by $0.10. Mastercard had a net margin of 44.93% and a return on equity of 200.01%. The business had revenue of $8.13 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.95 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $3.50 earnings per share. The business's quarterly revenue was up 16.8% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts expect that Mastercard Incorporated will post 15.91 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Mastercard Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 8th. Investors of record on Wednesday, July 9th were given a $0.76 dividend. This represents a $3.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, July 9th. Mastercard's dividend payout ratio is currently 20.50%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have recently commented on MA. Seaport Res Ptn upgraded Mastercard from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Monday, July 14th. UBS Group increased their price target on Mastercard from $660.00 to $670.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 3rd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft initiated coverage on shares of Mastercard in a report on Thursday, July 17th. They set a "buy" rating and a $650.00 price objective for the company. Citigroup increased their price target on shares of Mastercard from $650.00 to $652.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, May 5th. Finally, Wolfe Research set a $655.00 price target on shares of Mastercard in a report on Monday, June 23rd. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twenty-five have issued a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $615.33.

Insider Activity at Mastercard

In other news, insider Linda Pistecchia Kirkpatrick sold 959 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Friday, June 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $572.86, for a total transaction of $549,372.74. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 25,540 shares in the company, valued at approximately $14,630,844.40. This trade represents a 3.62% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, insider Raj Seshadri sold 1,100 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Friday, June 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $546.77, for a total transaction of $601,447.00. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 12,921 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,064,815.17. This trade represents a 7.85% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 38,453 shares of company stock worth $20,178,667. 0.09% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

About Mastercard

Mastercard Incorporated, a technology company, provides transaction processing and other payment-related products and services in the United States and internationally. The company offers integrated products and value-added services for account holders, merchants, financial institutions, digital partners, businesses, governments, and other organizations, such as programs that enable issuers to provide consumers with credits to defer payments; payment products and solutions that allow its customers to access funds in deposit and other accounts; prepaid programs services; and commercial credit, debit, and prepaid payment products and solutions.